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I’ve reached the half-way mark on my journey to getting certified to becoming an esthetician and I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far.

I’ve tried writing this from a neutral standpoint but every time I started writing all that flowed from me was negativity…

I am painfully aware that putting in hard work and determination is what allows for success but maintaining a “go-getter” mentality has not been easy.

I’ve been going to school, going to work, trying to maintain my relationships, and taking care of myself, my cat and my home.

It certainly has been difficult, however, it’s getting easier to handle. The weight of being new to the program have slowly been lifted from me.

I’m now, in the eyes of beauty school, a senior!

I wasn’t expecting to be in a class full of women that are not “girls girl’s”

The some of the students and instructors talk badly about other students and instructors behind their backs and then put on pretty faces and act like they’re not the problem. They make remarks on people's appearances, weight, “attitude”.

My thoughts on the matter are,

A. Most of us are adults, act like it.

B. We’re in the business of beautifying people and making them feel good about themselves…

Where’s the love and passion?

When I mentioned this to a friend she said, “What did you expect? The beauty industry is filled with mean girls”.

Imagine my shock.

I’m just a weird girl at heart who loves being creative and making others feel good.

Never have I thought, “Ew, what an uggo. Pay me $500 and I’ll make you look less awful”.

That a loose quote from a cosmetologist who came to my school to talk about business in the industry.

I’ve talked to many friends at this point now and they have told me that often times when they are leaving from getting waxed, getting a facial or their hair done, they feel like they’re being judged and talked about as soon as they leave their appointment and that’s a shame.

I have vowed to never make a client feel that way.

You’re hairy and prefer not to be? Great! I need you to be in order to wax you.
You have acne or fear your skin looks mature for your age? No problem! I’ll analyze your skin and customize a facial to achieve your desired look.

It’s hard to wrap my head around the judgement that some cosmetologist and esthetician give.

In a perfect setting I would be talking amongst my peers sharing our beauty secrets, thoughts and ideas on how to make the industry better and more sustainable for everyone.

Vote for me to become the next beauty guru…

Despite all of that I’m still eager to be in the field and start a career that I thoroughly enjoy.

Esthiology is one of those careers that has ebbs and flows. If you’re willing to put in the money, training, marketing, and side hustles that align with this creative field then you’ll create a rewarding career.

I’m the type of person that wants to do everything. I love to learn new skills, create and engage, which I believe, makes me a great candidate for success in the industry.

I know that a lot of people are like me and are curious about esthetics, especially since 2020 when estheticians started making TikTok’s about what they do and how much they make in a day. Those videos showed people how much fun the industry can be and how lucrative, as well.

Though, I do feel as if some jump into it not fully knowing the hard work that goes into building your skills, marketing yourself, finding a niche, and building a clientele.

The length and cost of the program and the requirements varies from state to state.

For my state the program is 600 clocked hours. If you are able to do full time that can take a mere 4 months. If you’re part time it can take up to a year.

I clock anywhere from 20–25 hours a week which will take about 8 months.

Fingers crossed that I finish before the end of January.

As far as the program outline, that would vary as well. Though, every school learns pretty much the same theory.

Milady Standard Esthetics

The book highlights skin histology, anatomy, product knowledge, chemistry, business and most importantly

INFECTION CONTROL

If you weren’t a clean freak before beauty school, you likely are now.

I wash my hands for a solid 2 minutes now. I look at items at work and think, “there’s no way that implement is fully clean and disinfected.”

Cleaning- washing an implement or surface of all dirt and debris. The first step before disinfection. An item CANNOT be disinfected before being cleaned.

That was repeated at least 8 times in the Chapter 5: Infection Control.

Theory aside, practically you will learn how to perform a facial, skin analysis, how to wax the entire body, shoulder and arm massage(depending on your state), make-up application(if you’re lucky), eyebrow mapping, tinting and waxing(if you show up to that random Saturday class), lash application, and much more(depending on your state).

So far, I have learned how to perform:

Skin analysis
Customized Facials
Microdermabrasion
High Frequency
Back facials
Leg & Underarm waxing

I am feeling confident in what I’ve learned so far.

I will say that I came into this program with the mindset that I would be coming up with my own projects to do in class and at home to further my knowledge and solidify what I’m doing. I find that works best for me when it comes to learning and my instructor doesn’t seem to mind as long as I have her assignments done.

To conclude my first 300 hours, I will say that I’m glad I choose to do this, regardless of how badly I struggled the first 4 months. If you have the motivation and entrepreneurship, then read up about it. Spark conversations with Estheticians and Cosmetologists. Ask questions. Watch YouTube videos. Join r/esthetics.

There are so many different sides of the industry that you can home in on.

There’s so much more I can talk about but that’ll be it for now…

Would you be interested in being an esthetician?